KEENELAND Barn Notes — Friday, Oct. 17

By Amy Owens —-

FRIDAY, OCT. 17

Keeneland’s 17-day Fall Meet runs through Saturday, Oct. 25.
First race is at 1 p.m. ET. No racing Mondays and Tuesdays.

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MULLIKIN BREEZES FOR CYGAMES BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT, ROYAL SPA TO BYPASS DISTAFF
DEVAUX PLEASED WITH SHE FEELS PRETTY’S BREEDERS’ CUP PROGRESS
MAY DAY READY TOPS OVERFLOW FIELD FOR BANK OF AMERICA VALLEY VIEW
WOODSTOCK HEADLINES DEAN DORTON MYRTLEWOOD FIELD OF SIX
PROSPECTIVE FIELDS FOR CLOSING-DAY STAKES
THIRD WEEK SPECIAL EVENTS
FALL MEET LEADERS

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MULLIKIN BREEZES FOR CYGAMES BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT,
ROYAL SPA TO BYPASS DISTAFF

In one of his final tuneups for the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, WinStar Farm’s Mullikin breezed Friday at Keeneland immediately following the first track renovation at 7:30 a.m. With Antonio Mata in the saddle and working in company with WinStar Farm and BBN Racing’s Grade 2 winner World Record under Ares Campos, Mullikin worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.40.

“Exactly what we were looking for,” trainer Rodolphe Brisset said. “We just want to keep him fresh up to the race. Today was an easy five-eighths from the half (mile pole) and a good gallop out. The rider never moved, and he was traveling very well. (Mullikin) will work again either Friday or Saturday — just an easy half mile by himself.”

Mullikin and World Record are accustomed to being a team.

“Week by week, we saw that they were a good match,” Brisset said. “It’s been fun, and they have pretty much partnered up for works for the last two years.”

After the second harrowing at 9 a.m., Breffni Farm’s Royal Spa worked a half-mile in :48.20 in company with Group 3 winner Queen Azteca. Winner of the Locust Grove (G2) at Churchill Downs on Sept. 13, Royal Spa had been targeting the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) on Nov. 1 at Del Mar but will bypass the race in favor of another Churchill start.

“We were playing with the idea of the Distaff,” Brisset said. “That is why she went to Del Mar (where she finished fourth in the Clement L. Hirsch-G1 Presented by Oak Tree Racing Association on Aug. 2). It is a long trip to go out there, and she doesn’t owe us anything. And we know she likes Churchill (where she has raced eight times with four wins and two seconds).”

Royal Spa is now being pointing toward Churchill’s Chilukki (G3) Presented by Resolute Racing on Nov. 15 or the Falls City (G3) on Nov. 27. Also winner of the Shawnee (G3) in May and second in the Fleur de Lis (G2) in June at Churchill, Royal Spa was runner-up in last year’s Chilukki.

DEVAUX PLEASED WITH SHE FEELS PRETTY’S BREEDERS’ CUP PROGRESS

Lael Stables’ five-time Grade 1 winner She Feels Pretty, considered the top American runner to challenge the Europeans on Nov. 1 at Del Mar in the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1), continued her steady work pattern for the race by working a half-mile in :48 Friday morning.

Working in company with Grade 3-winning stablemate Taking Candy, She Feels Pretty logged her fifth Friday half-mile breeze since winning the E.P. Taylor (G1) at Woodbine on Aug. 16.

“She has been working well, and I just need to keep her sound and happy,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said after the work.

She Feels Pretty is scheduled to work again here next Friday and then fly to Del Mar as part of a three-horse World Championships contingent for DeVaux, who collected her first Breeders’ Cup victory last year at Del Mar with More Than Looks in the FanDuel Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF.

Her other runners are expected to be Rebel Red (GB) for the Turf (G1) and Vahva for the PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1). Rebel Red worked a half-mile this morning on the main track in :48.80 in company with stakes winner Northern Invader.

Vahva is scheduled to work Saturday at 7:30 a.m.

Owned by his breeder, John Gunther, and Eurowest Bloodstock Services, Rebel Red had his second work since finishing fifth in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) on Sept. 27.

“I was pleased with him this morning,” DeVaux said of Rebel Red, whose best finish in graded stakes this year was a second in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 9. “He has run some really good races and that puts him right there (with possible Breeders’ Cup entrants). The Joe Hirsch was a weird race with only five horses.”

MAY DAY READY TOPS OVERFLOW FIELD
FOR BANK OF AMERICA VALLEY VIEW

KatieRich Stables’ May Day Ready, a two-time Grade 2 winner and runner-up in last fall’s John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), headlines a field of 12 3-year-old fillies plus three also-eligibles entered today for next Friday’s 35th running of the $400,000 Bank of America Valley View (G2) going a mile on the turf.

Trained by Joe Lee, May Day Ready won last fall’s Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales in her lone Keeneland start. Ben Curtis has the mount from post 12.

May Day Ready also won the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga in August by a half-length over LSU Stables’ Play With Fire, who is also entered in the Bank of America Valley View for trainer Chad Brown. Flavien Prat has the mount Friday on Play With Fire from post 2.

The field for the Bank of America Valley View, with trainers, riders and weights from the rail out, is: